"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is an old English saying that means apples are healthy, so you should eat one every day. A very special specimen is the type "Adams Parmäne", which is currently on the red list of endangered native crops in Germany. The Wiesengut Teaching and Research Station at the University of Bonn is working with pomologist Barbara Bouillon from the "Biologische Station im Rhein-Sieg-Kreis" to preserve this special apple variety. She shows how this can work and why it is so important right now.

Coevolution between pathogens and host plant immune systems shapes a multifaceted network of interactions that remain phenotypically unrecognised and functionally elusive unless single players are depleted from the system. The maize-colonising fungus Ustilago maydis secretes a complex effector blend in order to suppress defence and redirect host metabolism in its favour. An international research team, including scientist from IPK Leibniz Institute and the University of Bonn, elucidates the effector protein Rip1, which is involved in immunity suppression during biotrophy. The results were published in the journal Plant Cell.

The use of genetically modified (GM) crops in agriculture remains contentious, especially in Europe. According to surveys, many people fear that these could have negative effects for human health and the environment. However, a new study shows that genetically modified crops could actually be good for the environment, and for the climate in particular. Results suggest that the adoption of GM crops in the European Union (EU) could reduce greenhouse gas emissions considerably. The study by scientists from the Breakthrough Institute in the USA and the University of Bonn in Germany was recently published in “Trends in Plant Science”.

According to a team of plant researchers, mitochondria provide unexpected help for cells in a crisis by respiring away harmful substances. The current study produced by the Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants (IBBP) at the University of Münster and the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES) at the University of Bonn has been published in the journal Plant Cell.

How can digital technologies be used for more sustainable crop production? Researchers from a wide range of disciplines are working on these questions at the Cluster of Excellence PhenoRob at the University of Bonn. At the Cluster's flagship conference, DIGICROP, experts pool their knowledge, bringing together distinguished speakers from around the world. Given the great success of DIGICROP 2020 at the end of last year, preparations are underway for the next edition of the conference, which will be held digitally from March 28 to 30, 2022. The Cluster of Excellence PhenoRob is receiving support from the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (USA). Scientists are invited to submit presentations in the form of videos by January 5.

Prof. Dr. Anne-Katrin Mahlein, co-opted professor at the University of Bonn and Director of the Institute of Sugar Beet Research (Göttingen) is the most cited author in the research field sensing and imaging of plant disease. According to a publication by the journal “Tropical Plant Pathology”, Mahlein’s research has significantly pushed this area of research forward. Overall, the University Bonn has been determined to be the most productive and most collaborative institution in the field.

Food, feed, fibers and fuel: with demand growing, agriculture has a key role to play in the future of humanity and our planet. At the same time, the increasing scarcity of arable land and the impact of climate change are bringing problems such as drought, heat and other extreme weather events. In the PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence, therefore, researchers from different disciplines are working toward a common goal: unlocking more sustainable crop production with limited resources and thus shrinking the environmental footprint caused by cultivating plants. To this end, they are harnessing innovative digital technologies, including some from the world of robotics and artificial intelligence.

Prof. Wulf Amelung and Prof. Frank Ewert from INRES are included in the international "Highly Cited Researchers" ranking this year. They are considered to be particularly influential in science.